System process taking up 100% CPU cycles

Since this just started to happen you need to consider if you've made any recent changes to the PC. Have you scanned for viruses and the like with a recent dat. Also it may be your virus software running in the backround. There may be some program including win XP that's trying to check for updates.

It would probably be some program you have installed recently that is running in the background. What programs have you installed recently. Or it could be a anti-virus software running its scan if you have a real-time scan set-up. Or if you don'thave anti-virus software you could possibly have a virus. Is the system like this as soon as you boot up, or after you run certain programs. It could be a program that starts up when you start your computer, then all you would have to do is get that program to stop starting up during the boot sequence. You can check what programs are started up by using the msconfig command in run. Then go to the start up tab and you can see all the programs that start up, and you can uncheck the ones that you don't want to start up. Be careful though, you need some of those programs to start up, otherwise your computer may not boot up properly. These are just a few things you can check. I hope some of this helps.

On some of our systems, using WindowsXPPro and Windows 2000 Pro, if hibernation is enabled, it will take up 'idle CPU time" up to and including 100% while Windows is trying to set up hibernation criteria in the background. Also current Symantec Anti-Virus, if part of Utilities, etc., is running in background, it will do a 'sweep' on timed cycles and if monitoring is enabled, will eat up all your CPU time. Hope that helps.

Hi,

To add to what others have already mentioned, look at your list of services to see if any are enabled that should not be. Disable any services that aren't needed (you can find a nice compilation of tips on this topic here: www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm).

Good luck!

Regards,

Marc Couture

Are you running McAfee AntiVirus software in your system? Because, most systems that use McAfee AV S/w are detected that they increase the CPU usage to 100% in certain times and then the PC works very slow. If you are using that AV S/w, then please upgrade to a latest version or just install other AV like Norton AntiVirus etc.

I advice check what are the services that are running high in cpu usage, if its a system file try to scan your system possible for virus. Update your bios in your motherboard. If it still not work,try to reinstall your OS. if it still not work check your fan on your pc, heat might causing for the high cpu usage. Hope these tips will help you. Goodluck!

trebalack.

Here, I tried this out and I seems to do the trick.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;295714

FYI, I only just discovered that you can double-click on a line in the systems monitor and it highlights it in the process box. Heapum cool.